exactly," replied the old man, "but I know that she wept bitterly
when the Tin Soldier did not come to marry her, as he had promised to
do. The old Witch was so provoked at the girl's tears that she beat
Nimmie Amee with her crooked stick and then hobbled away to gather some
magic herbs, with which she intended to transform the girl into an old
hag, so that no one would again love her or care to marry her. It was
while she was away on this errand that Dorothy's house fell on the
Wicked Witch, and she turned to dust and blew away. When I heard this
good news, I sent Nimmie Amee to find the Silver Shoes which the Witch
had worn, but Dorothy had taken them with her to the Emerald City."

"Yes, we know all about those Silver Shoes," said the Scarecrow.

"Well," continued Ku-Klip, "after that, Nimmie Amee decided to go away
from the forest and live with some people she was acquainted with who
had a house on Mount Munch. I have never seen the girl since."

"Do you know the name of the people on Mount Munch, with whom she went
to live?" asked the Tin Woodman.

"No, Nimmie Amee did not mention her friend's name, and I did not ask
her. She took with her all that she could carry of the goods that were
in the Witch's house, and she told me I could have the rest. But when I
went there I found nothing worth taking except some magic powders that
I did not know how to use, and a bottle of Magic Glue."

"What is Magic Glue?" asked Woot.

"It is a magic preparation with which to mend people when they cut
themselves. One time, long ago, I cut off one of my fingers by
accident, and I carried it to the Witch, who took down her bottle and
glued it on again for me. See!" showing them his finger, "it is as good
as ever it was. No one else that I ever heard of had this Magic Glue,
and of course when Nick Chopper cut himself to pieces with his
enchanted axe and Captain Fyter cut himself to pieces with his
enchanted sword, the Witch would not mend them, or allow me to glue
them together, because she had herself wickedly enchanted the axe and
sword. Nothing remained but for me to make them new parts out of tin;
but, as you see, tin answered the purpose very well, and I am sure
their tin bodies are a great improvement on their meat bodies."

"Very true," said the Tin Soldier.

"I quite agree with you," said the Tin Woodman. "I happened to find my
old head in your cupboard, a while ago, and certainly it is not as
desirable a head as the ti